STEPHEN RAY MURPHY

STEPHEN RAY MURPHY, a resident of the Somerville Community, longtime Dental Technician and husband of Mary Murphy died at 12:15 P.M. Friday, August 7, 2009 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis where he had been a patient for twenty-nine days. He was 67 years of age and died following a month-long illness.

Funeral services for Mr. Murphy were conducted at 11 A.M. Wednesday, August 12th at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville with Rev. Barbara Blackmon-Fortune, former Pastor of the Shiloh United Methodist Church, officiating. She was assisted by Rev. Ann Bledsoe, current Pastor of the church. Graveside Services and interment followed at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Memory Hill Gardens Cemetery on Germantown Parkway. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes-Main Chapel of Somerville.

Mr. Murphy was born in Morgan County, Indiana on February 6, 1942. He was preceded in death by his parents, Forrest E. Murphy and  Geneva W. Wheeler Murphy.

He was educated in the Eminence Consolidated School in Indiana and completed his education as a Dental Laboratory Technician at the Elkhart Institutional University, graduating in 1961.

He was married February 26, 1961 to the former Mary Newman, a retired Financial Officer for the Johnstone Supply Company in Memphis, who survives.

Mr. Murphy was a former resident of Memphis for twenty-five years before moving to Fayette County seventeen years ago.

A Dental Technician for forty-eight years, Mr. Murphy was associated with the Somerville Dental Laboratory at the time of his death.

He was dedicated to his Christian faith and in recent years was an active member of the Shiloh United Methodist Church on the Lafferty Circuit in Fayette County.

Hunting and fishing were favorite pastimes for Mr. Murphy and he maintained a lifelong interest in model trains.

He loved special times with his grandchildren, who were his pride and joy.

In addition to his wife of 48 years, Mr. Murphy is survived by two daughters, Michelle R. Murphy and Susan M. Reyna (Jose), both of Arlington and 5 grandchildren: Michael Joseph Ramey, Stephenie W. Ramey, Katalina E. Reyna, Joseph F. Reyna and Sophia M. Reyna.

Those honored to serve as casket bearers were Michael Ramey, Jose Reyna, Joe Krempasky, Nathan Coffman, Wendell Crook and Sput Garnett.

Honorary Casket bearers were Cleatus Crook, Jack Hudson and the Men of Shiloh United Methodist Church.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Sarah Dale African Mission Trip, 219 S. High Street, Muncie, IN 47303 or to the Fayette County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.